Bag of Tricks

I. Why are plastic bags so common?
Because they are cheap to produce, easy to carry and store.

II. In what other ways is plastic used?
Candy wrappers, chewing gum, cigarette butts, and a thousand other pieces of junk.

III. What are the benefits of plastic bags?
Plastic grocery bags consume 40 percent less energy, generate 80 percent less solid waste, produce 70 percent fewer atmospheric emissions, and release up to 94 percent fewer waterborne wastes

IV. What are the dangers of plastic bags?
First, they get to the ocean and many animals confuse them with food having strong effects in their body. They also contain a toxin called lead which is very dangerous. Lastly, plastic bags are not biodegradable, so they stay in the planet and pollute it.

V. What has been done so far?
In some places plastic bags have been banned, encouraging the use of paper bags wich are biodegradable. Also in other places a tax has been created over plastic bags.

VI. Has it been successful?
It has been succesful, the only problem is that these laws are only running in some places and they should be in the whole world, before it is too late.

VII. Why or why not?

It has been succesful because the plastic bag use in those places has reduced 80% or more, which I think is a succesful number.

a. What are some of the potential benefits of charging fees for and/or banning plastic bags?

Other materials which are friendly to the environment would be used, pollution would be reduced because of the chemicals that plastic bags had, also people would change their way of thinking about the planet and pollution.

b. What are some of the potential drawbacks of such programs?

Plastic bag producers would be bankrupt, if a fee is established some people would still keep using plastic bags and that will continue affecting the environment.

c. Which benefits and drawbacks seem the most compelling? Why?

The most compelling bennefit is to stop the pollution of the Earth caused by plastic bags because every minute our planet is getting more contaminated, and if we stop the pollution that will be sloer and give a chance to live to many animals that are being killed by plastic bags. And the drawback is the loss of job of thousands of workers around the world because many people would stop getting money and affecting more the world crisis which we are going through right now.

d. Would you support a local law charging fees for (or banning) plastic bags? Why or why not?
I would rather support banning plastic bags than charging fees because if you charge fees you are just making up an uneffective solution just to not affect the economy as much, but in longer terms it will have bigger repercutions amongst the planet.

1. Do you agree with this new law? Why or why not?
Of course, because it reduces the pollution in the world.

2. What has been done so far?
Non-degradable bags have been banned in Mexico City, and all the stores have to replace these with ones that are friendly to the environment.

3. What needs to be done to enforce such a law?
The stores should help the government in taking care of the country. Also, consumers could ask for less bags used and things like that.

4. What campaigns would you suggest?
A campaign in which all the plastic that people find should be put in a special container so they can be recycled.